The St. Martinville Cultural Heritage Center was the site of educational activities during the Acadian Memorial Heritage Festival Saturday. 

ST. MARTINVILLE — A day of fun was mixed with strong ties to the Teche Area’s cultural heritage Saturday morning as the 14th annual Acadian Memorial Heritage Festival kicked off in downtown St. Martinville.

Organizer Elaine Clement said the event was an educational and entertaining event with a variety of activities for people of all ages.

“This is our 14th annual, not consecutive year,” Clement said Saturday. “When it started, the idea was to have a festival tied to the museum. Not something huge, but a festival that had direct links to our culture, that’s how it initially started.”

That idea grew into a full agenda of activities Saturday, from French tables to demonstrations courtesy of Longfellow-Evangeline State Park.

The day kicked off at 9:45 a.m. with a flag raising ceremony, which was followed by demonstrators and cooks preparing traditional food for the crowd. Volunteers showcased making traditional toys and how to play traditional games that tied back to Acadian heritage.

Traditional Acadian music was performed by Adeline Miller and Amis du Teche throughout the day as well.

“We do theater in French, a reenactment of the Acadians’ arrival in Louisiana, we did a French Table up here (at the Acadian Museum),” Clement said. “There were demonstrations from Longfellow-Evangeline on how to cane chairs, traditional toys and games.

“There was also someone here making boudin. Most of the cooks cooked on site so you could come early and talk to them about how they prepare it.”

The reception for the event was strong this year, Clement said, especially in regard to the French theater.

“This was the most people I’ve seen watch theater in French,” Clement said. “We had a full house.”

The festival was held in Evangeline Oak Park across from the St. Martinville City Hall, with the road blocked off by law enforcement so event-goers could stroll the streets and look at the vendors’ wares.

“We were delighted with the turnout,” Clement said. “We had good weather and a good crowd. It was obvious that people were having a good time.”